- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: April 14, 2009
- Total Downloads: 47,202,237
- Downloads last week: 732,411
- See full specifications
A newer version of Avast Home Edition is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 11730 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
This impressive software provides the same steadfast protection of well-known antivirus programs, yet it's surprisingly free.
Avast Home Edition guards your PC and the network with multiple shields that scan executables and files. You can select parameters for scanning, and even choose wildcards to exclude specific file types. You can adjust the sensitivity level for the program's detectors when it comes to scanning downloaded files, instant messages, e-mails, and a host of P2Ps. Its efficient interface opens up window after window to tweak its settings to your liking, for novice to advanced level protection.
Though it took quite some time to run, we're impressed with this application's boot-time antivirus scan. Fortunately, if you're in a pinch you can bypass it. If malicious contents are detected, Avast comes to the rescue with handy virus cleanup tools. Some decent PC controls are even handed out here. You can block certain URLs and file operations, such as writing to files or even renaming, deleting or formatting them.
With immediate real-time protection, clockwork updates, and much more, this free software is highly regarded in our book.
Watch the CNET video review of Avast Home Edition:
Publisher's description
From Alwil Software :Avast Home Edition is a complete ICSA & Checkmark certified antivirus, Checkmark certified anti-spyware & anti-rootkit package. Avast includes the following components: On demand scanner with skinnable simple interface, just select what do you want to scan in which way and press the Play button; On access scanner, special providers to protect the most of available e-mail clients; Instant messaging--ICQ, Miranda; Network traffic--intrusion detection, lightweight firewall; P2P protection for Kazaa, BitTorrent; Web shield--monitors and filters all HTTP traffic; NNTP scanner--scans all Usenet Newsgroup traffic and all operations with files on PC; Boot time scanner--scans disks in the same way and in the same time as Windows CHKDSK does.
What's new in this version:
Version 4.8.1335.90414.Uni brings improvements in the malware and rootkit scanners and an enhanced setup experience.
More popular Antivirus Software downloads
- 2,765,821 downloads 1. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
- 957,128 downloads 2. Avira AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus
- 757,403 downloads 3. Avast Home Edition - Free Antivirus
- 94,050 downloads 4. Avast Professional Edition
- 50,761 downloads 5. AVG Anti-Virus
- See all Antivirus Software downloads
User reviews of Avast Home Edition 4.8.1335.90414
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11730 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 5 of 353 user reviewsSee all 353 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.8.1335.90414
Pros: My husband and I have been using Avast for a couple of years. Excellent software. Keeps our computers running smoothly. Never a problem. We recommend this program 100%
Cons: none so far
-
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.8.1335.90414
"Nowhere as good as it used to be"
Pros: Automatic update option, offline scan, free of charge.
Cons: Stupid interface that would appeal to a silly schoolboy mentality; fails to detect many Trojans.
Summary: I've used Avast Home for years and it's always performed well. However, very recently my Windows system kept breaking into chaos ,after I downloaded 'Sound Normalizer' from THIIS website. Copyiing text to paste became hit and miss, and then whenever... read more >>
-
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.8.1335.90414
Pros: This product has helped to protect me quite a few times. I was surprised though when it found some webpages that my other virus programs previously did not pick up on.
Cons: My only complaint is that I did not begin using this sooner. I was so tied up with an average piece of software, who would have known?
Summary: Avast is both easy to use and powerful, with very little impact on my memory usages.
-
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.8.1335.90414
"Very nice! updates all the time"
Pros: It seems that it it stopping viruses!
Cons: Nothing to say here
-
Version: Avast Home Edition 4.8.1335.90414
Pros: Small footprint. Unobtrusive update notices. Easy to use.
Cons: It works so fast that I doubt it could have actually done much for me. My system still seems to be slowing down, makes me wonder what Avast may have missed.
Summary: I will continue to use and evaluate this product.
- See all 353 user reviews Write review
Submit your review
Previous Versions:
